I personally feel that part of being an older prepper is to stay in shape, both physically and mentally. Now six mornings a week I write this blog. Most of the time I have no idea what I intend to write about it just comes to me. Four mornings a week, I go to the gym and work out. I try to keep my weight down and have been fairly successful. Weight control is 80 % diet and only 20% exercise.

I have never been partially strong, but I have always been able to walk for long distance at a good speed. So how do older preppers stay in shape? It comes down to two things first control your diet and keep moving. You may never be able to do what you could 20 years ago, but most of us can improve.

As an older prepper here are a few things that I have learned

A doctor once told me that a good rule for older people when going for a walk or run is, don’t push yourself to the point that you can’t carry on a conversation. This rule will help you avoid cardiac problems. Especially if you are just starting to exercise.

When working with weights you don’t have to lift huge amounts, lift lighter weights and do more reps. Remember you are trying to avoid injuries not become a body builder.

Try to eliminate sugar from your diet. This is a hard one for me.

I eat a ½ cup of complex carbohydrates as part of every meal. This gives you energy and helps to speed up your metabolism. Complex carbohydrates include brown and black rice, quinoa, oatmeal, and beans.

Start out your day with a good breakfast. Mine consists of a ½ cup of oatmeal with milk, no sugar or sweetener and a two egg vegetable omelet.

Unless you are dying, it doesn’t matter if you are sick, have joint problems or are in a wheelchair, there is always something you can do to improve your position. In the gym I go to there is a gentleman in his 80’s with emphysema that works out with weights and is in pretty good shape. He bring an oxygen bottle and takes breaths from it between exercises. That’s determination.

Avoid junk food, and all the boxed and frozen foods you see at the store. They all contain too much sugar or salt.

One Response to So You are an Older Prepper and You Want to Stay in Shape

Weight loss; 80% diet, 20% exercise. I appreciate that info… don’t know where you got the figures, but it’s good to know the math. March 1st I started one diet, out of my garden and greenhouse, and quit cold turkey the diet from the grocery store. Sugar, junk food, and such, except for a beer at the end of the day are gone. So far nearly 50lbs. are gone, and the benefits have been marvelous. Another 50 and I’ll be where I want to be which is 180lbs. for my six foot frame. Bluntly, it is total stupidity and would take an idiot, of which I led the pack, to continue shoving gmo food, fast food, processed food, and all the other poisons we consume down our throats. Watching Food Inc. did it for me. Another good one is Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. In short, if I don’t grow it, or can’t forage it, then I don’t eat it. Period. Thanks for the article and hope people are listening because being fat and out of shape when teotwawki hits will be a death sentence. thanks again.